Reducing Allergens in Your Home

The month of May brings many things:  sun shining, flowers blooming, green grass, windows open, and lastly, those pesky allergies.  May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and a clean, dust free home is the first step to enjoying clean, fresh air. In the United States alone, 70 million people suffer from asthma or allergies.

Cleaned to Perfection has some helpful hints to keep the air your family breathes as clean as possible.  Dust in your household contains common allergens such as dust mites and animal dander. When these are disturbed from furniture, carpet, or a hard surface they become airborne and pollute the air you breathe.   Most common cleanings just recirculate the dust in the air, but with these simple cleaning tips, you can dramatically decrease the level of allergens in your home.

     

• While cleaning wear a mask to protect yourself from the recirculated dust.  After, it is recommended that you leave your home for a few hours to avoid the allergens. 
• When dusting hard surfaces, use a moist cloth or a special duster designed to trap and lock dust. 
• It is recommended in place of wall to wall carpeting,  using hardwood or linoleum floors, with just small, washable area rugs. 
• If not a viable option for your home, vacuum once or twice a week with a vacuum that has a high-efficiency air filter. As well as periodically, deep cleaning the carpet to remove stains, spills, and dust. 
• Instead of cloth, consider switching to leather furniture. 
• Wash bedding, linens, and curtains in hot water at least once a week. 
• Use double paned window if in colder climates, and inspect and clean the pollen and mold from window sills and frames. 
• Remove items that collect dust such as : knickknacks, ornaments, old magazines and books. 
• Store childrens toys in plastic bins. 
• To reduce pet dander, if you have an allergy, don't keep pets with feathers or fur.  If you are unable to find a home for your pet, make the bedrooms a no-go zone.
• Wash dishes frequently, do a deep cleaning of the sink, remember to wash the faucet, to remove any old debris and mold.  
• Store all food in a sealed plastic container (including pet food).  Wash pantry with soap and water, picking up any debris that may have fallen.
• At least twice a month, wash your fridge, wipe out any drippings, get rid of any old, expired food.
• Mop the kitchen floor at least once a week.
• In the bathroom, get rid of any wallpaper, using a mold resistant paint or tile in place. 
• Use a towel to dry the shower after every use.  Scrub to remove mold, and remove any mats or rugs that may have collected dust and mold.  
• Keep your entire house between 68 and 72 degrees, and the humidity no higher than 50 percent. 
• Don't allow smoking in your home. 
• Do a regular cleaning at least once a week, and a thorough deep cleaning in the home at least twice a month.

All of us at Cleaned to Perfection realize the amount of work that goes into a maintaining a clean, healthy, happy home. Hopefully, with these helpful hints this allergy season will be easier on you and your family. And as always, we are available to help you with your cleaning needs for this season, and those to come.  Call us for an estimate at 631-941-4607, or visit our website Cleaned to Perfection and fill out an estimate form and we will get back to you.

We're Taking the Cleaning out of Your Spring!

LET US TAKE THE CLEANING OUT OF YOUR SPRING!

      With the first chirp of the birds outside your window, you open your eyes to a new season.  Spring has finally sprung!  

      The jump-off to spring also means that it's time for spring cleaning.

Cleaned to Perfection is proud to offer a complete set of "extras" 

that meet your spring cleaning needs.

      

      We want you to wake up on the weekend knowing that your home is cleaned from top to bottom, and more importantly, that your family is breathing fresh, clean air. The extras that we've added have all come from our client's requests in the past.

Give us a call with your spring cleaning requests 631•941•4607
You can find our "extra" recommendations here! 
Let spring begin !

Simple & Easy Green Cleaning Resolutions

Did you make a resolution this year to keep up with housework? We commend you, but we also know it can be hard work, especially when you're already knee-deep in work, social life, and other distractions. Living in a clean house can make you feel so much happier, but it's not always feasible, especially if you plan to go the extra mile and clean the green way...or is it?

Here at Cleaned To Perfection, we believe that when it comes to home improvement and making positive changes in your life, anything is possible, and we're here to help. If you've got a green cleaning resolution for 2014, we're right behind you with cleaning supplies and rags in hand, and a plan for helping you achieve your goals. Starting with this: you need to break your cleaning up into small, discrete tasks for a few minutes each day, rather than trying to tackle the whole house once a week or at the end of the month.

If you keep up a steady momentum, all of the house will start to feel cleaner most of the time, and you'll have more room for special projects like scrubbing out the oven (which we can also do for you), finally cleaning the grout in the bathroom, and finding out exactly what's lurking under the fridge. Set up a cleaning schedule that works for you, and if you're lucky enough to have child labor...we mean, kids who want allowances...in the house, break up chores so many hands make light work.

Build larger cleaning projects into the overall schedule, so every potential problem area in the house gets hit on a regular schedule, instead of when your disgust reaches critical levels and you have to stop everything and clean. If the idea of getting your house whipped into shape is daunting, consider calling  Cleaned To Perfection to give the house a thorough going-over so you can start with a sparkling clean home and maintain it from there.

Get Your Home Ready For the Cold Months!

Fall is here. Take the time now to prepare your home for the colder months ahead. Cleaned To Perfection will concentrate on the cleaning, you concentrate on the maintenance!

• Clean gutters and downspouts. Especially if you have a lot of trees on your property, you know how quickly the gutters can become clogged. Waterfalls are nice, but not when coming off of your roof!

• Now's the time to paint! Cooler temperatures and lower humidity make this the ideal time of year to paint the exterior of your home.

• Head to the roof! Avoid snow and ice getting inside by checking for gaps or leaks in the shingles. 

• Keep the ice in your freezer, not in the pipes. Turn off the valves to the exterior hose bibs and ensure all the water has drained from the pipes.

• Feel the heat. Clean and replace filters in your furnace or heating system. Have the chimney cleaned and wood burning fireplace cleaned. Check windows and doors for leaks and drafts.

• Pets, not pests. Pests love to cozy up in warm attics. Check for any openings where unwanted pests can make their way in.

• Sound the alarm! Well, make sure the alarm can sound if needed. Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

The fall is a fabulous time of year. Spend the days outdoors enjoying hikes, corn mazes, and pumpkin picking, then head indoors to snuggle with warm cocoa and good company. Take care of the home maintenance now so you can enjoy the rest of the fall. Don't forget to call Cleaned To Perfection to schedule your house cleaning too!

Clean the Halloween Mess to Perfection!

October is a fantastic time of year. The weather has cooled down and it is enjoyable to be outdoors. The leaves begin to change color and look beautiful. Everyone has settled into the routine of a new school year. And of course, Halloween is coming!

Pumpkin picking, corn mazes, haunted houses, scarecrow making and more are enjoyed all month long culminating in the big day of costumes and candy! As fun as the day is, it can leave quite a trail of mess behind. Cleaned To Perfection has some tips to share to help make the Halloween clean up simple!

If any little pranksters decide your trees would look better with toilet paper draped from them, here's what you can do. First of all, wet toilet paper is much more difficult than dry to remove. If rain is predicted, get to it right away. If not, wait a little while for the morning dew to evaporate and they paper to dry. Begin at the top of the tree and use a rake to pull the paper down or a leaf blower to blow it out of the tree. Be sure to pick all of the paper up off of the ground so it does not smother the lawn.

Eggs thrown at your house is another favorite of pranksters and can be a doozy to clean up. You want to get to the clean up as soon as possible! If the sun has time to bake the yolks, it can stain the siding. Use a hose to wet the siding below the egg and then gently spray the siding above the egg. The water should wash away the mess without splattering the egg and making more mess.

Do you decorate your home with creepy candles? The spooky effect is awesome, but wax dripping the carpet is not. Wait for the wax to cool or you risk spreading the wax and of course, burning yourself. Use a dull edge such as a popsicle stick or dull knife and break the wax into pieces. Remove what you can then cover the remaining wax with a rag. Press a warm iron on the rag and the wax will adhere to it. Change the rag frequently or the wax can spread.

Love the touches makeup adds to costumes, but not to furniture or carpet? There are plenty of cleaners on the market, but be cautious. Test the cleaner on a hidden spot of the carpet first to be sure it will not remove the color from the carpet. Remember to blot, not rub and work from the outer edge into the middle.

Oh no! Was there a shaving cream fight on your driveway? No worries. Hot water and laundry detergent will remove the stains from the concrete and even the siding of your house.

So relax and enjoy all the fun the month will bring. Any messes can be cleared up with a little bit of know how. As always, Cleaned To Perfection is here to help make cleaning simple and give more time to enjoy!

Cleaned To Perfection Cleans For A Cause

Are home cleaning services a luxury? While many people believe they are, here at Cleaned To Perfection we do not. The days of mom staying at home cooking and cleaning while dad works a 40 hour week are long gone. It is much more typical for each parent to work one or two jobs. Children's schedules are busier than ever with after school activities and weekend events. With so little opportunity to spend time together, or even to spend a moment alone, do you want to sacrifice any of it to spend time cleaning your home? 

Cleaned To Perfection can provide you and your family with a clean home allowing you to fill the time with quality moments, all for a reasonable cost. So, the hectic pace of our daily lives is one reason why we feel home cleaning services are not a luxury, but there are others. Cancer, for one, affects all areas of a persons life including the environment they live in. A person should be able to expend their energy on fighting the cancer rather than cleaning their home. This is why Cleaned To Perfection is proud to partner with Cleaning For A Reason.

Cleaning For A Reason provides the gift of a clean home while a person undergoes treatment for any type of cancer. The patients home is given a general cleaning once per month for four consecutive months at no charge. As a small local business, we are greatly committed to our community and are honored to be given the chance to offer some comfort to our neighbors in need. 

If you know anyone who is fighting cancer and could use our help to keep their home clean, please share our information with them. You can help too by making a donation to Cleaning For A Cause. For more information, please call us at 631-941-4607.

Storing Summer Belongings

The final days of summer are upon us. Take the time to enjoy the warm air and light evenings. For those of you counting down the days until school starts, take a moment to enjoy your kids before the pressure of the school year settles upon you both.

Objects of summer are plentiful and can be dirty. Think beach chairs, coolers, tote bags, sand toys, and more. When the time comes to put these away for the cooler months, take a few extra minutes to prepare them for storage. A little bit of time and effort now can save a lot of time and effort later.

• If it can get wet, hose it down! Get all of the sand and dirt off and out of creases. Do this early on a sunny day and leave it to fully dry in the sun. 

• Carefully inspect the items. If it is broken or worn, throw it out. It won't magically fix itself over the winter.

• Straighten out the shed or garage and make a place for summer items. Rotate the shovels and sleds to the front and place the sand toys and beach chairs in the back. 

• Store items in like groups so you can easily find what you are looking for. For example, items that you take to the beach can be placed together or items you take to the soccer fields can be placed together.

• Make a list of discarded items that you want to replace before next summer. This way you can throw items out and not worry that you will be caught unprepared next summer.

Cleaned To Perfection is just full of simple tips to help simplify your life and give you more quality time. Want more tips? Call us at 631-941-4607!